Brush-making machine



Dec. 1924- 1,518,844

0. E. FISHER BRUSH MAKING MACHINE Original Filed Jun 21, 1921 sSheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 9, 1924. 1,518,844

c. E. FISHER BRUSH MAKING MACHINE Original Filed June 21-, 1921 3Sheets-Sheet 2 inventor;

0. E. FISHER BRUSHMAKING MACHINE Original Filed June 21, 1921 3sheets-sheet a 6113501 nag Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES EDWARD FISHER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE FISHERAUTOMATIC BRUSH MACHINE COMPANY, INC., OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A GOR-IORATION F MARYLAND.

BRUSH-MAKING MACHINE.

Original application filed June 21, 1921, Serial No. 479,253. Dividedand this application filed June 24,

' 1924. Serial No. 722,011.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES E. FIsHnn,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State ofMaryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBrush-Making Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for making brushes,such as 0 scrubbing brushes. The general type of machine to which theimprovements are applicable is well known, and comprises a pair oftables adapted to hold wooden blocks shaped to form brush backs, aboring tool arranged over one table, and stapling mechanism for applyingtufts to the blocks arranged over the other table, means for operatingthe boring tool and stapling mechanism simultaneously and intermittent-1y to bore holes in one block. and apply tufts to previously bored holesin the other block, and means for automatically shifting the tables toposition the blocks so that the holes will be bored in one block inaccordance with a predetermined pattern while tufts are secured in theholes in the other block, previously bored according to the samepattern.

In my co-pending application, Serial Number 479,253, filed June 21,1921, of which the present application is a division, I have shown anddescribed in detail a machine of the type referred to. The presentapplication relates to the table shifting 35. mechanism, andparticularly to the means for resetting the table frame in its initialor starting position, and to means for counterbalancing the table frame.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the ma-,

chine, with various parts removed;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the table frame and operating mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; I

' Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the operation of the detent onthe cam wheel which moves the table forwardly;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 .of 6 Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the eccentric for operating themechanism which moves the cam shaft.

Referring to the drawing, A indicates the frame of the machinecomprising a bed or table a, supported by legs a, and an arched frame acomprising parallel uprights 1 and 2, secured'to the bed at its ends,and a cross-piece 3 mounted upon the uprights. A main shaft 4 is mountedin bearings at the back of the legs a, and this shaft is maintained inconstant operation by power applied to a pulley 5 on the shaft. The mainshaft is provided with a sprocket wheel 6, which is connected by a drivechain 7 to a sprocket wheel 8, revolubly mounted upon a clutch shaft 9.which is supported in suitable bearings on the upper part of the frame."This sprocket wheel drives a clutch (fully illustrated in my originalapplication, and unnecessary to illustrate here) which operates theshaft 9, and this clutch may be tripped and disengaged from the shaft bya tripping lever 10. This lever is movable to the tripping position by aspring 11; but it is held out of the tripping position while the brushblocks are being bored and tufted by a spring-pressed latch 12, pivotedon a fixed arm 13. By rocking the latch against the action of its spring14, the tripping lever will be released and will be drawn in thedirection to trip the clutch and stop the shaft 9 by the spring 11. Whenthe tripping lever is moved in the opposite direction, that is, to theleft in Fig. 1, it will be caught and held by the spring latch and theshaft 9 will be driven by the clutch.

The latch 12 is automatically tripped, to release the clutch mechanismand stop the machine, when the final tuft has been applied to a brushblock, by means of a rod 15, connected to the latch lever and to atappet lever 16, the latter being arranged in the plane of movement ofa'tappet arm 17 on the cam shaft B of the machine. At.

the completion of each revolution. of the cam shaft, the tappet armrocks the tappet 1 and the clutch is thereby released.

Secured to the clutch shaft 9 is a hand wheel 18, by means of which thecam shaft and the entire mechanism can be turned by hand for the purposeof adjustment or repairs, when desired, and upon the hand wheel issecured an adjustable bracket 19, carrying a crank pin 20, which may beadjusted by the bracket toward and from the aXis of the clutch shaft soas to vary the eccentricity of the crank pin. Secured to the bracket 19is a rod 21, which is given a reciprocating motion by the crank pin andoperates a mechanism for giving a step-bystep movement to the cam shaft,which is journaled in brackets a a, and a, which project rearwardly fromthe bed plate a of the machine. The step-by-step mechanism operated bythe rod 21 is mounted upon the bracket a and comprises a ratchet arm 22,pivotally connected to the lower end of the rod 21 and journaled upon ashaft 23 in a support 24, which is integral with the bracket. Theratchet lever carries a spring pawl 25, which engages a ratchet wheel26, secured to the shaft 23, and upon said shaft is secured a spur gear27 which, through intermediate gearing, g, more particularly describedin my original application aforesaid, operates the cam shaft B.

The cam shaft B carries three spiders or disks 28 29 and 30* to whichare secured sectional cam rings 28, 29, and 30, respectively, whichco-operate, through mechanism to-be described, to adjust two brushsupporting tables 0 and a so that the brush backs, which are carriedthereby, may be properly positioned to be operated upon by the borin andstapling mechanisms. As shown in ig. 1, the table 0 is directly beneatha drill spindle 31, carrying a drill 32, and the table 0 is similarlylocated with respect the stapling mechanism, a guide for which is shownat 33.

' The brush holders or tables 0 and 0 are upon the ends of forked levers34 and 35, respectively, which levers are pivoted adjacent the tablesupon pivot pins 36 to the upper part of a frame C, which is mounted sothat it may be moved vertically and also rocked forwardly andbackwardly. The levers 34 and 35, supporting the brush tables, may berocked laterally about their pivots 36 with respect to the frame, asshown in Fig. 5. The frame C has two depending legs 37, which arecentrally pivoted at 38 to dove-tailed bars 39, which are movable invertically arranged guides 40, secured to the bed plate a.

The frame 0, carrying the tables 0, 0, is movable vertically by arocking frame 41, which is centrally pivoted upon trunnions 42- andcarries at its rear end a roller 43, which is engaged by the cam wheel30. The forward end of the rocker supports the vertically sliding bars39 to which the legs 37 of the frame C are pivoted. It will be evidentthat any rocking movement imparted to the rocker 41 by the cam 30 willcause the frame C to be raised or lowered. The cam surface is so formedthat the parts of the brush blocks immediately beneath the drill andstapling device will always be at the same height.

The cam 29, which has a snail form,

arm 47 which projectsupwardly from the top of the frame C. A hand piece47 is attached to the arm 47, for moving the table frame by hand tore-set it' in its rearward tilting position, as hereinafter described.The roller is held in engagement with the cam by a weight 48 which isconnected to the lever by a flexible cable 49 passing over the camshaft. As the table tilts forwardly from its central position moretension is required on the cable to hold the lever so that its rollerwill bear on the cam, and when the table is moved to the rear of itscentral position, less tension on the cable is required to hold theroller against the cam. To apply more tension, I provide a compensatingspring 50 above the weight which is compressed by the latter against astop 51 as the table tilts forwardly beyond its central position, and toapply less tension to the cable, I provide a compensatmg spring 52 belowthe weight which relieves the cable of an increasing amount'of theweight as the table is moved rearwardly from its central position.

Mounted on the cam 29 adjacent its high end 29- is a pivoted detent 53which is normally held in a more or less radial position by a spring 54,as shown in full lines in Fig.

3, and in dotted lines in Fig. 4, but as the .high end of the cam ispassing the roller, the

latter engages the detent and rocks it about its pivotal point until thelonger. arm of the detent rests against a stop pin 55 and the shorterarm projects beyond the high end of the cam, as shown in full lines inFig. 4, and forms a continuation thereof, which prevents the roller onthe lever from dropping immediately to the low end of the cam. When theroller rests upon the detent, as shown in Fig. 4, the stop mechanismbefore described operates and the entire machine comes to rest. Thisoccurs at the time when the last hole has been bored in one brush blockand the last tuft has been secured to the other brush block, and thebrush tables are in their extreme forward positions. To reset the tablesin their rearmost positions, for the next operation, the operator pullsof the handle 47 and this pul s the lever 45 i to the left hand dottedposition in Fig. 4,

a roller 61 on the slide.

and the roller 44 is moved out of engagement with the detent, whichsprings to the radial position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. Theoperator then allows the tables to be pulled backwad by the weight, andas the detent is now out of the path of movement of the roller, theroller will pass to the lowest point on the cam, as indicated by thedotted lines at the right in Fig. 4, and the tables will be tiltedbackward so that the drill and staplin devices may commence to operateon the forward ends of the brush blockswhen the machine is againstarted.

To effect lateral spacing of the holes and tufts in the brush blocks,the levers 34 and 35, which carry the brush block tables, are pivotallyconnected at their lower ends to a horizontally movable frame 56, andthe lower ends of the levers 35 are connected cto the pivotal points ofthe levers 34 by diagonally arranged springs 57, which normally tend tocant the levers and the tables 0, c, to the left, as shown in Fig. 5.The frame 56 has a cross-bar 56 which is held in engagement with anupright tapering pin 58 by the springs 57. This pin is mounted upon abell crank lever 59, the shorter arm of which is connected by a link 60to a slide 61, which is movable forwardly and backwardly by'the camwheel 28, which engages The roller is held in engagement with the camwheel by the tension of the springs 57, acting through the medium of theparts just described, and it will be evident that as the roller ispressed forwardl by the cam wheel, the pin 58 will be rocked so as toswing the frame 56 to the left, in Fig. 5, and thereby rock the tables0, c, to the right. When theroller 61 enters a depression in the camwheel, the frame 56 will be allowed to move to the right, in Fig. 5, andthe tables will be moved to the left by the springs 57.

The operation is as follows: Normally the brush tables are in theforwardly inclined position, and the roller 44, on the lever 45, restsupon the detent 53 on the cam wheel 29, as illustrated in Fig. 4. Ablock! to be bored is placed uponthe table 0, and a. block which haspreviously been bored on the table a is placed on the table a. Theoperator then ulls the table frame forwardly, so that the etent canspring out of line with the roller on the lever 45, and then allows thetable frame to be pulled backwardly by the weight until said rollerrests on the low part of the cam 29. In this position of the tables, theforward ends of the brush blocks are beneath the boring tool andstapling mechanism and areinclined so that the holes bored and tufts setwill be inclined with re spect to the faces of the brush blocks. The

operator then moves the clutch lever to the left, in Fig. 1, until it isengaged-by the latch 12, and this movement causes the clutch shaft to beconnected to the constantly driven shaft 4. The boring and stapledriving devices then-make a, downward and up ward movement at eachrevolution of the clutch shaft, and at each downward movement a hole isbored in one block and a tuft is stapled into a correspondingly locatedhole in the other block. A step by step movement is given to the camshaft between successive operations of the boring and stapling devices,and two of the cam wheels 28 and 29, on said shaft, cause'the tablescarrying the brush blocks to be shifted so as to space the holes andtufts according to a pattern predetermined by the form of the camsurfaces on' said cam wheels. Thus, the cam wheel 28, which causeslateral shifting of the brush tables efi'ects lateral spacin of theholes and tufts, while the cam whee 29, which rocks the tablesforwardly, eflects longitudinal spacing of the holes and tufts. The camwheel 30, which causes vertical movement of the tables, adjusts thetables so that the brush blocks, at the points immediately under thedrill and staple driving mechanism will always be at the same height.During one complete turn of the cam shaft, the tables carrying the brushblocks are rocked step by step from a backwardly inclined position to aforwardly inclined position, and the one block is bored with a fullcomplement of holes while the other block is completely tufted, and nearthe end of the revolution of the cam shaft, the tappet arm 17 thereonengages the tripping lever 16 which is connected to the latch 12 on theclutch mechanism and this latch is moved to release the clutch andthereby cause stop- "allow the detent on the cam 29 to swing out of linewith the roller on lever 45, and then allows the table frame to rockback to the startingl position in which said roller engages t lever isthen moved b hand to. start the machine and the operations beforedescribed are repeated.

What I claim is:

1. In a brush-making machine, the combination with a table-frame havingthereon tables for supporting brush blocks, of means for adjusting saidtable-frame forwardly comprising a cam shaft, a snail cam thereon, adetent on the higher end of said cam and normally projecting radiallbeyond" its surface, a member movable wit the table-frame and having apart bearing on the cam and adapted to rock the detent so that thelatter e low part of said cam. The clutchv will project over the low endof the cam, and means for automatically stopping the movement of the camwhen said part rests on said detent.

2. In a brush-making machine, the combination with tables for supportingbrush blocks, a tiltin frame for said tables and means for rocking saidframe forwardly comprising a cam wheel, a lever having a roller bearingon said wheel and a link connecting the lever with'the table frame, ofmeans for rocking the tables backwardly comprising a weightadapted toslide vertically, a cable connecting the Weight with the frame, andsprings adapted to be compressed by the Weight near the limits of itsmovement.

3. In a brush-making machine, the combination with tables for supportingbrush blocks, a tiltin frame for said tables and means for rocking saidframe forwardly comprising a cam wheel, a lever having a roller bearingon said wheel and a link conframe, and means for increasing the tensionon the cable when the weight approaches the upper limit of its movement.a

p 4:. In a brush-making machine, the combination with tables forsupporting brush blocks, a tilting frame for said tables and means forrocking said frame forwardly comprising a cam wheel, a lever having aroller bearin on said Wheel and a link connecting the ever with thetable frame, of means for rocking the tables backwardly comprising aweight adapted to slide vertically, a cable connectin the weight withthe frame, and means for ecreasing the tension on the cable when theweight approaches the lower limit of its movement.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

CHARLES EDWARD FISHER.

